New gym looks to boost QC’s gymnastics program through more accessible facilities

Could the next gymnastics icon come from Quezon City? This new gym hopes so.

Carlos Yulo’s double gold medal win at the Paris Olympics last year inspired a new generation of Filipino children to consider the sport.

Now, an upcoming gym in Quezon City is hoping to train the country’s next gymnastics star, and put the city on the map as a gymnastics powerhouse.

Ron Suva, NCAA cheerleading commissioner, former Gymnastics Association of the Philippines official, and the director of Tumble Icon Academy, shared this vision for the nation’s largest city as they decided to build a gymnastics facility located at the Victoria Sports Club near MRT Kamuning.

But why in Quezon City?

For Suva, the limited number of medalists representing QC in recent national sporting events, such as Batang Pinoy show that there is a gap between the wide talent pool and the results.

“Maraming talent sa QC, pero walang facilities,” Suva told GMA News Online.

Back in 2024, QC did not win any gold medal in the Batang Pinoy events for gymnastics, while in 2023, the city had one gold and one bronze.

He noted that while there are some strong gymnastics programs, such as Saint Pedro Poveda College in one part of the city, QC does not really have the public or easy-to-access training center for aspiring athletes in other areas.

“Kumbaga, ‘yung common student-athlete, wala siyang access,” Suva added.

According to him, Quezon City has a gymnastics facility at the Belarmino Sports Complex, but it has been outdated and not fully accessible to young student-athletes. Meanwhile, the Amoranto Sports Complex used to have gymnastics facilities, but none were made after the said complex underwent renovation.

Suva believes that building a world-class gymnastics facility that — while not public would be accessible — could not only provide proper training grounds but also improve QC’s chances of winning medals in the sport.

"If there's facilities, lumalakas ang athletes. [Tulad sa] Manila kasi nandiyan ‘yung sa GAP (Gymnastics Association of the Philippines). But in QC there's [not a lot], kaya ako target talaga diyan and I made it in the heart of QC. Very accessible to all commuters."

He also emphasized that the new facility aligns with the local government's push for greater inclusion of women in sports.

"[This helps] the inclusion of women in sports because of the advocacy of Mayor Joy Belmonte for the promotion of women's sports which includes gymnastics,” Suva said, recalling a previous conversation with the mayor during her time as vice mayor.

As NCAA cheerleading commissioner, Suva also hopes the gym can eventually serve as a venue for both training and competition, especially as the NCAA looks to expand its sports lineup to include gymnastics and weightlifting.

—Justin Kenneth Carandang/JMB, GMA Integrated News